Gays Get Laid So Easily - Lucky Them

I had to respond to the author of this short-sighted and ill-thoughtout post on huffingtonpost.com. Click here to read the article.

Dear Mr. Ellis:

Okay so the blessing of being gay only boils down to how easy it is to get laid. Never mind the unique perspective a GLBT person may have of the human experience. Never mind the oppression we face daily, despite our contributions to society. We're able to get laid in cesspools, regardless of low self-esteem or a good pick-up line. Yay for the gays. It's sad that in a homophobic culture some GLBT citizens believe they can only be out in the dark.

Trey Ellis trust me when I say you DON'T wish you were gay. You would have two strikes against you in a racists and homophobic culture. The least of your problems would be getting laid.

I think it time to discuss what creates the DL sub-culture and how to free many men and women from living it.

GOP Down with O.P.P.

Oh I see! Several GOP members that were staunch supporters of the Marriage Defense Act bullshit have been caught over the past year with their drawers down. Whether it's turning up in a D.C. Madam's phone book, emailing naughty messages to interns, or trolling public restrooms for cockage, these boys have been going at it.

So it makes sense they want to protect the sanctity of marriage. They know from their own personal experiences that the institution of marriage is in jeopardy. It seems to me the GOP is infested with tragic closet-cases and philandering men.

Amazing they choose to legislate against behavior they cannot live up to themselves. Hypocrites! FYI former Prez. Clinton also pulled the same bullshit when Monicagate came up. So I guess it's an epidemic or rather a tradition. People have the ability to creep given the right time, place, motivation and heated loins.

My Love/Hate Thang with the Logo Channel

Okay, it's been sometime now that the Logo channel has been up and running, offering the TV viewer programming for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered (GLBT) community. As a queer man I was eager to see what they would offer.

Here's my take on what I've seen so far:

- GLBT people of a "certain" age don't get a lot of play. Most of what you see are twink, taunt, buffed, firm, wrinkle-free faces. While I know they are targeting a sorta MTV-age deomographic, us older folks have been waiting for YEARS for a channel like this. Shouldn't we get some airtime? I wanna see faces and stories that I can relate to, just as much as that young queer in L.A.

- Loving the Click List and the cool music and short-films shown. It's like eating M&Ms.

- I'm glad they are giving airtime to "In The Life." This showed starting serving up GLBT programming many moons ago on PBS and deserves a place on LOGO.

- That scene in "Noah's Arc" where Noah broke up with his boyfriend while they were giving runway together at a ball was genius. Camp to the tenth power. With that said at times the writing and acting on that show falls short of such brillance.

My main concern with a channel like Logo is that it creates a gay ghetto in Cable-TV-Land. While it's cool the GLBT has a place to go to for programming that reflects their lives, it also creates an environment of segragation that might prevent a non-GLBT person from being exposed and possibly learning to appreciate the HUMANESS in a GLBT person.

I guess it's about baby steps. Hopefully Logo will be a huge success and other channels will start to offer GLBT programming that is inclusive rather than a novelty, as well as, highlight issues facing the GLBT community.

Another Rat Flees the Sinking Ship

Bad boy Attorney General Alberto resigned his position today. This was long overdue. What's insane is how long he held on. I mean this guy got beatdown, after beatdown. It was like watching a beagle get mauled by a pack of pitbulls. I think he thought he was actually showing tenacity, when in reality he came off like a fool that didn't know when to throw in the towel.

What would have served him best would have been humility. Once he knew that he got busted and perjured himself, he should have thought about his father, and the integrity he lived his life with, and said to himself that it was time to go.

I don't think it's dishonorable to say "I fucked up" or "I don't have what it takes to do this." Coming clean is in fact one of the bravest things a person can do. It is also the only way a person can move towards improving and evolving.

Alberto, karma is a bitch. Get ready for what comes back to you. It won't be cute.

From Prom to Platoon

I come from a military family. My father fought in Korea, my Uncles in Vietnam, and my brother served four years as a Marine. They've all told me War is hell and the military is not too kind to brown or black soliders. I think many other Americans have been given these words of advice, because, the U.S. Army is hemorrhaging! During the past two months the Army has fallen short of it's recruitment goals.

This wound is opening further with the increasing number of deaths and soldiers maimed by the war. Another blackeye on the situation is reports of the men and women already in Iraq and Afghanistan burning-out from prolonged and multiple deployments. And the final slap across the face is the GUNG-HO attitude of the majority Americans has been replaced by call for the soliders to COME HOME.

The Pentagon is faced with the question: How then can the beast called War continue to be fed? Well, the U.S. Army is now offering what they call "quick ship" bonuses of $20,000 to new recruits. This incentive gets young fresh bodies to agree to go to boot camp up to six months sooner than the date given to them when they were signed up. It is now possible for a new recruit to end up in Iraq 3 months after entering bootcamp. I'm reminded of an animated clip from the Pink Floyd movie "The Wall." Where a menancing old man pushed children into a meat grinder.

Bee Charmed

I had a wonderful memory today. A few years ago I was in the Catskills area of New York state. This area is so far from NYC that at night the stars come out with such a pride that it humbles a native city resident, that has only seen the meek night sky in a big city.

Away from the distraction of city lights and towering buildings, the stars hold court in the night sky. They remind you that the planet you spin on is just a spec in something greater and more beautiful than you can ever imagine.

I was on a farm that was several acres wide and long. In the morning I went for a walk. I came to a part of the field that was erect with blossoms of either corn or wild flowers. I really don't know. What I remember is that what crowned the green tall stems were colors of yellow, blue and red. This city boy was drawn to them.

As I got closer I heard a low vibration of sound. I moved forward and the sound inched upwards with each foot of a step I took. Then I saw a haze above the flowers. A speckled blanket of air moved above that field. I moved forward. The sound became recognizable to me.

Hard at work within the air was a massive swarm of bees. The bees's buzz took the breath away from my lungs. I paused for a moment to take it all in. I then slowly backed away while facing the field to let the bees alone to do their work.

Take A Closer Look

One of the reasons why I cherish working at Cross High School is because I see so much of myself in the students. The student population at Cross is predominately Black and Latino. Many of the students in the program I work with also come from single-parent and poor or working-class families. They are me and I was them.

My mother raised my brother, sister and I, on food stamps for a time, and money was always scarce. She did this on her own, in Bushwick, one of the poorest and crime-ridden neighborhoods in Brooklyn, NY. This scenario is very similar if not the same for many of the young people I worked with over the summer.

While there are some kids that are thriving at Cross, there are some kids that are struggling either academically and/or emotionally. While I don't doubt there is love in the homes of the latter group, I know that the stresses of single-parenting and having to struggle to make ends meet, takes it's toll on the family.

I saw in these kids the same signs of it affecting them the way it did me. For many of them there self-esteem is in constant need of repair. I also saw many of them put up this front that was designed to protect them by scaring away any possible threats.

At times I was able to see beyond that and get a better look at the person behind that mask. This inner-view revealed to me a young human being that needed to be understood and feel they have a safe place. Also crucial for these young people is that someone shows them they care and have the patience to support them.

Unfortunately, I think many of them will have a hard road for some time. Most of the real repair and evolution may come when they are adults and can take more control of their own lives.

Now with that said, it doesn't leave their families, community, or teachers off the hook. All of us need to always shine our own lights and give of ourselves to help them navigate the dark times they can go through. The payoff in my opinion is we save ourselves by saving others. We enable another human being to be able to share their gifts with the world.

Can You Smell What's Cooking - Return of the Draft

Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, President Bush's new war adviser said Friday.

"I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another."

(Source: AP News via Huffingtonpost.com)

For those of you that are skeptical about the draft returning, I ask you to reflect on all that has been going on during the last 7 years. Do you not believe the unthinkable is actually possible? I say every elected-official's son or daughter of age goes first.

Prez Candidates Slumming in the Gay Ghetto

The Logo Channel and Human Rights Campaign Foundation hosted a forum with the leading Democratic candidates running for President. Here is my take on their “performances”:

Senator Barack Obama – I like his style and profile. His responses seem well thought out and sincere.

Senator John Edwards – He lacks authenticity for me. His responses seem so canned. Just add water and stir. He was very instant vanilla pudding and Ken doll-ish.

What the hell is it with that thumb punctuation gesture these politicians use. Ugggh.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich – Okay, I dig he really puts himself out there and takes real risks in terms of his views. Supports same-sex marriages. He believes in letting love rule. Amen. Can Love rule in D.C.?

Senator Mike Gravel – Also, supports same-sex marriage. Favorite line of the night “A gifted politician will tell you to go to hell, and have you look forward to the trip.” He should teach, but not lead.

Governor Bill Richardson – He flopped. Rested on his past record of support for GLBT, but didn’t paint a motivating picture of what he will do as president. He sucked and Melissa Etheridge was NOT feeling him. The audience even groaned when he said being gay is a choice.

Senator Hillary Clinton – The closing act. Last candidate to do her thing. She rocked the coral jacket and showed no cleavage, and looked sexy. Melissa had to fan herself. An intelligent woman, experienced politician, she got the job done. She made me believe she has the ovaries for the job. But, do I trust her?

Deja Vu All Over Again

During the Vietnam war many U.S. soliders picked up the nasty habit of using Heroin to ease their mental pain and fatigue. Today I read at salon.com that soliders are once again picking up the habit and scoring some H while stationed in Afghanistan.

Will there be no end to the mirrored madness between Vietnam and the Iraq Wars?

Thoughts on Teaching

Well, good people, I completed another summer teaching at Cross High School. As you may recall from a previous blog, this year the program was bigger, we had over 60 students participating. The grade range also expanded to include freshmen and sophomores.

I went in determined to put to use some of the lessons I’ve learned from last summer and from the classroom field-placement I did in the October. Some of the key insights I gained from these two experiences are:

o Don’t take it personal when a student gives you attitude. While you don’t tolerate it, and nip that in the bud, I feel it’s important to allow them to be human and have a bad day or even not like me. At the end of the day I have to find some common ground where we can work together.
o Be careful what you assume about a student’s capabilities. Sometimes they know less than you think, or more than you are aware of. It’s really important to take some time to really figure out where they are in terms of knowing the fundamentals, maturity, and skills.
o Be conscious of the energy you are putting out. At the core of the classroom dynamics is human relationships. You have to go in the classroom full of love, hope and commitment to these young people, in order for it to work.

I have to say these lessons served me well. I had a great experience with the students at Cross. While there is still room for improvement, my overall impression is I was able to connect with many of them.

I’ll post other thoughts on the experience in increments, because there is a lot to say.